My host family and I shared our daily lives for three months. I found out I could do laundry, I learned how to make pasta… We were able to enter each other’s worlds through these magical moments and all the evenings spent discussing our realities by torchlight.

From Monday to Wednesday mornings, we went to work at the health centre. There I helped with birthings, vaccinations and saw many cases of malaria. Each day I gained a wider perspective of the health care system, but most important for me was learning to demystify certain behaviours that seemed so foreign at first.

On Thursdays, I learned about my community by chatting with the women, and helping to process the cassava, nuts and palm … We chose our community project jointly with our partner, GRABS. It entailed building a classroom for Akonana College. I discovered just how complicated international development is, having to reconcile everyone’s interests.

On Fridays, thanks to the virtues of non-formal education, we had group discussions on such issues as globalization, malaria, and malnutrition. We also took the opportunity to ensure everything was running smoothly and to forge links that still remain very solid.

In short, it was a unique and fantastic opportunity to live together in solidarity. Doors were opened for me, ideas burst forth. And this is just the beginning!